Dice Into the Ruins - Exalted 3e OOC

[Sherwood]

I was busy with some stuff in another game, and I think Psy was just trying to move the story along.

 

[Purr]

I'm not looking for blame. I just want to know what happened and how to proceed? =)

 

[Sherwood]

Amara is going to go ahead and pull Mercy upstairs, so that is accurate. The post works for me.

 

[Purr]

I jumped the gun after talking with Sherwood, and I shouldn't have done so. That was wholly on me.

So Sherwood is still playing Amara? Psychie posted as Amara because Sherwood was busy? All is well? Proceed as if Sherwood had posted as Amara?

 

[Sherwood]

Yes, I'm still in the game.

 

[Psychie]

Yes. I was just trying to help move things along, and so long as it is good with Sherwood, we'll stick with that post.

 

[Sherwood]

Thanks for your concern, Dann.

 

[Purr]

Ah! O.K.. Thank you for taking the time to explain this to me.

Psychie Psychie! Next time would you please put something in the post that states this intent? Preferably at the heading of the post?

I don't think I would have been confused if I had read something with a heads-up of some kind attached to it. =)

 

[Purr]

Thanks for your concern, Dann.

Yeah! Of course! I love you guys!

 

[Psychie]

Yeah! Of course! I love you guys!

Ah! O.K.. Thank you for taking the time to explain this to me.

Psychie Psychie! Next time would you please put something in the post that states this intent? Preferably at the heading of the post?

I don't think I would have been confused if I had read something with a heads-up of some kind attached to it. =)

Will do.

 

[Eonivar]

I get this funny image in my head that they are all going to end up in different rooms and they will be having a four or five way conversation via some odd knocking morse code OR someone decides to just carve out adjoining doorways between all the rooms.

 

[Purr]

Aredin detached Adorei's scabbard from his hip, intending to hold off the transformed with his blunted daiklave if necessary. While the shift was taking place he leaned over to a window, hoping to glean a bit of intel on their current crisis from what effect this magick had upon the environment itself. Typically a localized ritual on this scale would be, should be, making use of geomantic essence flow, and spill over into them even if it hadn't.

Then it became clear. The very air began to sour, rot, and thin. The floors felt brittle beneath his feet and creaked with shrieking whines. All the marks of color dulled and grayed as if washed in a stale, gray haze. Before the second breath, he'd never truly appreciated just how disturbing being pressed beyond the realm of the living could be. Now that he was attuned to the lifeblood of the cosmos, the sudden disgusting shock to his senses nearly left him reeling when it caught him off guard like this. "Agh, yuck... Death? I'da bet 5 dinars there was gonna be something animal related." The merchant said in an intentional, but authentic rural accent. "How bout it Gray Stone? I got 5 'shiny dinners' on the caster tryna resurrect a dead spouse or kid. It's gotta be that or immortality." He added, voice growing louder to attempt to draw the attention off of Mercy.

The shrouded light still gleamed from both his grin and Adorei's guard. Aredin took slow steps back pressing his shoulders against the curtain-veiled portal to the growing darkness. He waved the sheathed daiklave in broad, slow swipes to draw the rising horde's vacant gaze. "What do ya say gents? Shall we find out?" and he broke through the glass, diving out into the whirling abyss of death and chaos.

Spoiler: OOC

Aredin's just taunting the dead masses and exiting the building with a stunt. Hoping they either follow or act slowly enough to give the others enough space to escort Mercy safely. After that, I'd like to get a chance for him to discern where the magick seems to be coming from. Shouldn't be too hard to figure out, spell casting isn't supposed to be subtle in this setting, but there is a chance it could be.

Rykon

Aredin is not only not coming upstairs to safety, but exiting the building entirely? Doesn't that leave him at the mercy of the entire town?

What is he trying to achieve? I'm missing something (I have a pounding headache and that's not helping. Sorry if I'm missing something that everyone else clearly gets again).

 

[Rykon]

Aredin is not only not coming upstairs to safety, but exiting the building entirely? Doesn't that leave him at the mercy of the entire town?

Sort of, but I see it this way. We aren't trapped here with them. They are trapped here with us. We are still Exalts.

What is he trying to achieve? I'm missing something (I have a pounding headache and that's not helping. Sorry if I'm missing something that everyone else clearly gets again).

No worries, this is supposed to look reckless and impulsive.

Aredin's of the opinion that waiting through the night locked up will cost them either their best chance to investigate or another day before they can move along about their business.

Given that this is, as our ST described, an area being engulfed by the aura of the Underworld, we have a very large clue. We didn't identify this as a Shadowland when we arrived or we would have steered clear of it, yet something is pulling this world into the realm of death. We've all been either in or adjacent to shadowlands by virtue of Dunbar's manse, so this is a somewhat fresh memory to boot.

Whatever is happening is clearly magical, localized, and grand in scope. So smells like either a spell, working, or some sort of geomancy. A completed spell or working will be difficult, but not impossible for us to intervene with. A working or broken demesne/manse can be more easily addressed. So assuming we didn't arrive too late to help these folks, better to tend to the illness now than let it fester.

 

[Purr]

Sort of, but I see it this way. We aren't trapped here with them. They are trapped here with us. We are still Exalts.

O.K.! Yeah. Thank you for taking the time to explain.

So assuming we didn't arrive too late to help these folks, better to tend to the illness now than let it fester.

O.K. but you realize this plan of yours has at least two of us out of action for the time being, right? Mercy is as drunk as a sailor who lost a bet and in my mind, Da Chonk is so exhausted and stuffed that he can't do anything but fall asleep after he gets that door closed (and no he doesn't mind who's in there with him as long as it's you guys).

Now, my being the least experienced of the Exalted players here, I don't know if this is like Werewolf: the Apocalypse where you get a special ability to temporarily shrug off intoxication or exhaustion (Rage), but if you know something that I don't, I'd sure appreciate knowing it. =)

Otherwise, at least two of us are out of this whole entire scene as best as I can tell. If that is the case, I don't mind being a spectator. Of course, I can't speak for everyone else. =)

 

[Purr]

(In other news, my bothersome headache is finally gone! Hooray!)

 

[Rykon]

O.K. but you realize this plan of yours has at least two of us out of action for the time being, right?

There are two aspects here, making a distraction to get Mercy to safety is the first and the second is investigating this curse/blight/thing. If not everyone can participate at each stage, I can't really help that. It's just how the dice fall sometimes. Having a confrontation where not everyone is fit to engage is just par for the course, especially for a story of being on the run. Just look at how we started after all.

As for investigating, if the alternative is waiting overnight, I think by the time the trouble has passed, the purpose for engaging the adventure is largely over as well. Not much stopping us from carrying on to Rathess (that we know of). That is, unless we force the issue of staying for the sake of the mystery or the people. In which case, caring enough to save these folks, but not enough to act at nighttime is a disconnect that makes no sense to me as the player.

 

[Purr]

Rykon O.K.. I think I get where you're coming from now. But I wasn't under the impression Mercy required a distraction? She has ever-capable Amara who is not impaired directly looking out for her. But I'm not the GM in this game and I could be wrong here? Psychie Feel free to correct me now and ever. As your PC, it's my duty to go by your calls. =)

As for waiting one night, the way the guards were talking, I got the impression this happens in this town every night. Am I the only one who understood them in that way? If that's is true, it makes sense to me for us to rest up and have our Circle talk about what we want to do (or not do) as a team. Psychie was clear that Da Chonk had traveled for days on end and needed the rest (because if he didn't, we would have passed this town entirely). Then rested up, as one mind, we could ask the townsfolk during the day and decide whether or no to take on the town's problems when all of us were ready (if that's the decision we all agree on). Not to speak for Eonivar here, but I doubt Mercy would have partaken if she knew we were acting tonight?

As it stands, our current situation makes me miss playing Werewolf: the Apocalypse where every pack has its Alpha and what the Alpha says goes. In our Circle, we have no leader, hence our current situation (some people going for safety, others not at the moment. We are divided which I feel weakens us). I also think we probably could have benefitted from talking about all this in OOC prior to any decisions made (and I think I'm at fault for not asking earlier today what everyone wanted here in OOC. Wish I would have thought to ask earlier).

But hey! As I'm fond of saying in my own games, "roleplay it!" As best as I can tell, Da Chonk is out of this one (probably along with anyone who joins him in his room. Chowlett ? I like Silent Glade's idea of folks staying together; that's the whole reason behind Da Chonk's keeping his door open long enough for anyone to join him). I'm willing to roll with all of this as long as everyone's having fun! =)

Honor and fun,
Dann =)

 

[Rykon]

Rykon O.K.. I think I get where you're coming from now. But I wasn't under the impression Mercy required a distraction? She has ever-capable Amara who is not impaired directly looking out for her.

This is true, there are many capable of assisting on hand. There might also be a flawed take in my initial read that we were surrounded, but on re-reading I know there are some close by at the least. Either way, I'd been intending to investigate night 1 from the beginning. So I'd stand by this course of action regardless. Remember that each of our characters as individuals are a major world-shaking power alone, even while intoxicated. As an example, a platoon or more of soldiers would likely crumble against just one of us.

As for waiting one night, the way the guards were talking, I got the impression this happens in this town every night. Am I the only one who understood them in that way?

I will concede, I've been conditioned by other storytellers and various media not to burn too much time with matters like this. Call it a healthy, or maybe even an unhealthy, dose of suspicion. So when I see a setup like this, my instinct tells me the urge to count on that is a trap. Even thinking from the character's shoes, I wouldn't be too keen to let magic this foul just run its course without doing something.

As it stands, our current situation makes me miss playing Werewolf: the Apocalypse where every pack has its Alpha and what the Alpha says goes. In our Circle, we have no leader, hence our current situation (some people going for safety, others not at the moment. We are divided which I feel weakens us).

At its root, I'm sensing an intense aversion to "splitting the party" where I personally would chafe if every scene and decision required the cooperation of 100% of the party. I apologize if this stresses folks out, but I'd rather lean toward a dynamic where folks have less constraints on acting out their character and making their own decisions.

I also think we probably could have benefitted from talking about all this in OOC prior to any decisions made (and I think I'm at fault for not asking earlier today what everyone wanted here in OOC. Wish I would have thought to ask earlier).

I should have spoken up a bit sooner as well. My schedule has grown very cramped lately and things advanced a bit faster than I expected. Also doesn't help that my sense of time has been out of sorts for a while now.

 

[Eonivar]

Read all the replies.

My two cents. I am fine with a bit of chaos. This party is still getting to know each other. Also remember, we are all solar or lunar exalted. We are some of the most powerful beings on the world. Mercy can work through a bit of drunkenness. (Yes a drunken sorceress with obsidian butterflies…look out world)

Here is my next post as an fyi.

Remember Mercy’s connection to everyone’s past lives. The reason they were killed before was that they were all separated. Mercy is not going to want to see them separated again and will work with her drunkenness to do what needs to be done. (I will write once I get home from doing errands)

 

[Eonivar]

Psychie if I get Mercy to puke would that help lessen or remove the penalties for being drunk? <should be a meme…questions we ask while RPing>

 

[Psychie]

lol Mercy is starting to sober up with a quickness as she's being hauled up the stairs. I'm working on an IC post to help set the next part of the scene, go give me a moment.

 

[Eonivar]

I will post something for Mercy in a moment as I am making dinner

 

[Chowlett]

At its root, I'm sensing an intense aversion to "splitting the party" where I personally would chafe if every scene and decision required the cooperation of 100% of the party. I apologize if this stresses folks out, but I'd rather lean toward a dynamic where folks have less constraints on acting out their character and making their own decisions.

This is a really interesting point. A scene where one character takes a back seat, or where we have to swap between a couple of different groups, can be a logistical nightmare in F2F. Here, if your bit doesn't have the focus yeah, you can't do anything; and yeah it lasts longer than it would in real time; but at least you don't have to just sit around a table waiting.

FWIW, I'm ok with this pivoting to action-now; Glade will probably despair quietly, and then head to the roof to provide ... huh, I didn't take Archery. To track Aredin and leap into the fray at an opportune moment? Which I'll also add as an IC post when an in-game moment has passed.

Mostly, I guess I'd be worried about Purr - Fat Cat's been flying for hours / days, and we did land because he's tired. But c'mon, he's a freakin' Lunar, he must have something left in the tank!

 

[Purr]

At its root, I'm sensing an intense aversion to "splitting the party" where I personally would chafe if every scene and decision required the cooperation of 100% of the party. I apologize if this stresses folks out, but I'd rather lean toward a dynamic where folks have less constraints on acting out their character and making their own decisions.

Rykon

(Warning! Long-winded hyperactive reply here! =) )

You are so wonderful to role play with, Rykon! When I am curious to know what you're thinking, you answer not only eloquently but thoroughly! I just love that about ya!

I'm not stressed out or even getting there. I was confused but thanks to everyone talking, I'm getting less so by the post. =)

I want a game where everyone can role play their characters accurately and I think we have this! For Aredin to do as he is doing makes perfect sense to me. He is a bard by nature and what bard doesn't greatly desire adventure? =)

I think I should point out that I cut my teeth on Dungeons and Dragons Basic/Expert Editions and 1st Edition (AD&D) where to split the party up for long periods of time was to get them killed. However, that highly depended on the party in the question. Some operated like US Army infantry platoons and some operated like Special Forces groups. (Guess which one I like better?) =)

Here in Exalted, I find myself thinking of the game more like a Marvel or DC comic book adventure where the characters are going to be who and what they are as they should be.

Also remember, we are all solar or lunar exalted. We are some of the most powerful beings on the world.

I am still learning this. Neither O Mighty Fat Cat or myself fully understands what he is and what his capable of. I like it this way. My character and I are learning together.

Like a New Mutant in Professor Xavier's School Gifted Youngsters, or a new member of the Teen Titans in the Titans Tower, I am anything but a veteran and willing to listen to those who are to further our team's goals. I am also at least partially in this game for the discoveries!

Our characters might be the baddest creatures on Creation but that doesn't mean we can't be taken down a few notches by way of misadventure, unwise judgment, or just playing foul luck. A good Game Master knows how to challenge their PCs and Psychie is among them.

So, is there some way that Mercy can spend some trait to cause her intoxication to dissipate? Is there some game function that Da Chonk can suddenly not be tired? Like Rage in Werewolf?

I'm not saying this to imply that I want to change his actions, but instead for the next time a situation like this rolls around.

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to seeing what Aredin and perhaps Grey Stone get themselves into! Like Wolverine when the Hellfire Club beat the X-Men and he was left on his own to rescue them, I don't mind sitting back in watching how our story unfolds!

Honor and fun,
Dann =)

 

[Eonivar]

FWIW...Eonivar has no issue with splitting the party...Mercy and her past lives do....so I run with it. I have been itching for some action anyway.

FWIW, I'm ok with this pivoting to action-now; Glade will probably despair quietly, and then head to the roof to provide ... huh, I didn't take Archery. To track Aredin and leap into the fray at an opportune moment? Which I'll also add as an IC post when an in-game moment has passed.

If she can get there Mercy would be very effective on the roof with her spells and skyblade artifact....and projectile vomit ;-)